The U.S. Pat. Nos. to Benson et al 3,827,651; Morris 3,524,604; Aupperle 2,741,442; Tucker, Jr. 2,652,992; MacMillan 2,652,993 and Smith 1,767,710 disclose collapsible or knock-down reels for various types of flexible strands or cable materials some of which reels may be used for shipping, paying off and winding on flexible material, which flexible materials or strands may be in the form of wire rope, electric or steel cables.
The knock-down reel of the present invention is an improvement on the prior art reels mentioned above in that it is of a simpler and lighter construction and may be adapted for heavy electrical cable or wire rope, but which also may be used for fiber ropes of various sizes and materials.
The simplicity and effectiveness of the reel is attained by the connection of the opposite flanges of the reel by a spacer tube and by the utilization of a plurality of circumferentially spaced flexible members to define the barrel of the reel and placed under tension to retain the flanges in parallel relation with respect to each other. The invention also consists in spacing the flexible members circumferentially about the flanges in sets of twos, to form supports for segments of wood, metal or plastic, where the reel is to be used for transporting electrical cable, to prevent damage to the cable by the flexible members.
The advantages of the invention, therefore, are that an effective lighter knock-down reel has been provided than heretofore used which may readily be assembled and disassembled.
A further advantage of the invention is that the effectiveness of the knock-down reel and carrying media for the cable is in the form of flexible members circumferentially spaced and connecting the reel heads or flanges together in a detachable manner.
A still further advantage of the invention is in the connection and assembly of the center spacer tube for the reel to the reel heads, adding rigidity to the flanges and forming a bearing for the drive shaft to the reel, and readily attached and detached from the reel heads.
Another advantage of the invention is that the tensioning members may of themselves define the barrel of the drum and in certain instances, may support segmental inserts placed between the flanges and retained thereto by the taking up of the tensioning members.
A further advantage of the invention is that segmental inserts to form a drum may or may not be used, depending upon the material wound and stored on the reel.
A still further advantage of the knock-down reel is the construction of the reel with a view toward utmost simplicity and efficiency in assembly and disassembly by the use of a center spacer tube and bearing member and flexible tensioning members which may form the barrel for the reel.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of certain preferred embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.